Mauer speaks up, tries motivating Twins for Yankee Stadium test

NEW YORK -- The Twins held a light workout at Yankee Stadium on Friday afternoon, knowing they'll be facing elimination in Game 3 of the Division Series on Saturday night.

Catcher Joe Mauer tried keeping the team's spirits up on Thursday night after its 5-2 loss in Game 2 at Target Field.

"Joe Mauer was pretty vocal," said lefthander Brian Duensing, who will start Game 3 for the Twins. "He kept telling us it's no time to quit now. We're down two games, but we have to win anyway. Keep our heads up and keep playing hard."

Manager Ron Gardenhire said he's considering adding Alexi Casilla to the lineup to bolster the team's speed against Yankees righthander Phil Hughes. Presumably, Casilla would replace shortstop J.J. Hardy, who went 1-for-7 with a double in the first two games, batting in the No. 9 spot.

Gardenhire also spoke before the series about moving a lefthanded hitter into the cleanup spot, behind Mauer, when the Twins are facing a righthanded starter.

Gardenhire agreed that the team's two Game 163 tiebreaker games helped give several of his players experience in an elimination game.

"This is no different," he said. "We know if we lose, we go home. So throw it out there and, 'Let it roll,' as Shane Mack used to say. That's what we have to do. Get after it. Win a ballgame and try to flip the pressure right back on them."

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Phil Miller covered three seasons of Twins baseball, but that was at a different ballpark for a different newspaper. Now Miller returns to the baseball beat after joining the Star Tribune as the Gopher football writer in 2010, and he won't miss the dingy dome for a minute. In addition to the Twins and Gophers, Miller covered the Utah Jazz and the NBA for six years at The Salt Lake Tribune.